sâmbătă, 13 mai 2017

STIRI

Russian Military to Launch Drills That Could Defeat NATO Forces in Less Than Two Days

Newsweek

May 12, 2017

Canada is preparing to deploy troops to Latvia as part of a NATO plan
to bolster the Western military alliance's borders with rival power
Russia, but Moscow has plans for a show of might that will likely dwarf
NATO's efforts. Latvian ambassador to Canada Karlis Eihenbaums said
Friday that his nation, which has previously expressed concern about
Russian military activity in Europe's Baltic region, was particularly on
edge ahead of its neighbor's quadrennial defense maneuvers called
Zapad, or "West," due to be held in August and September. Eihenbaums
said the drills, which date back to the Soviet period, have left Latvia
uneasy in past years, but that this year's exercise would be especially
concerning given the dueling military buildup that has occurred between
NATO and Russia in the past few years. Read More

What are "jihadi pills" reportedly used by ISIS in battle?

In
the past three months investigators across Europe have intercepted
thousands of pills of the Islamic State militant group’s (ISIS) favorite
drug, Captagon. Nicknamed “jihad pills” or “the jihadists’ drug,”
Captagon is a banned amphetamine-based substance that keeps users awake
for long periods of time, dulls pain and creates a sense of euphoria. On
Wednesday, Dutch investigators said they stumbled upon a drugs lab
churning out the pills in April. The investigators, who are still
looking for two suspects they believe are associated with the facility,
announced their find two months after Greek police arrested four people
who were manufacturing the drug. During the raid, Greek officials
confiscated

Newsweek

Iraqi forces change tactics after battle to reclaim Mosul grinds to a halt

The
loose coalition of forces battling to reclaim Mosul from Isis have had
to change tactics, as progress had stalled in the fight that has raged
for seven months. Iraqi forces have been struggling to enter the Old
City around the mosque from which Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
proclaimed a modern-day caliphate. The US-backed coalition is now trying
to encircle the militants, trapping them in the Old City.

International Business Times

US-backed forces prepare for final push on IS-held Raqa

US-backed
fighters said Friday they were preparing for a final assault on the
Islamic State group's Syrian bastion Raqa, likely next month, with new
weapons and armoured vehicles promised by Washington. The Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) earlier this week captured the city of Tabqa and
an adjacent dam, a major prize in the offensive for Raqa, the Syrian
heart of IS's self-proclaimed "caliphate". "The attack on Raqa will take
place in the beginning of the summer," SDF commander Rojda Felat told
AFP in Tabqa, which lies on the banks of the Euphrates River about 55
kilometres (34 miles) west of Raqa.